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Friday, January 31, 2014

Sweetheart Nests

Brielle and I love our "girlie" crafts. And so we made something pretty and feminine for Valentine's Day! At age three, kids are old enough for a project that takes several sessions to complete, and they are delighted to make finishing touch choices from a generous pile of red, white and pink craft items.

We revisited paper mache to make charming Sweetheart Nests. They are bowls we'll fill with cards and cookies to take home to mommy and daddy on the fourteenth of next month. I like to introduce my grandchildren to a variety of art media, but this is one we've used more than once before because of its free spirited versatility. In this case, we built basic nests over woven baskets and glass bowls.

Invert the vessels and cover them tightly with aluminum foil. Make a flour and water paste the consistency of craft glue. Cut newspaper strips to two inch widths, dip them in the paste, and cover baskets or bowls with three layers. When the outside is dry - one to two days - carefully pry the pieces apart. Allow an extra day for the inside layer to dry before proceeding.

I painted our dried bowls with gesso so the light colored tissue paper we applied would be bright and clear. We tore a pile of scraps and applied them with Mod Podge - both inside and out.

The last session was the best! That's when our bowls became nests because Bree opted for craft punched paper birds and the accompanying "fluffiness" of tissue paper flowers. We folded and opened those together. Her little nest stood best on a tripod of wooden spool feet. Grandma's creation sported a marabou trim edging, but this accent proved to be its demise. What are the odds that at least one of six cats won't make sport of tearing it into a feathery mess? Not very good! So my own nest cowers safely behind glass, waiting for a home without predators! But where among our feline loving circle of family and friends? I'm afraid no such animal exists!

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It's the season!.........people we love, places we love, things we love....!
Here's a blog I love!

The creative force behind "Mrs. Party Planner" is a joyful young mom capable of turning absolutely any event into a memorable party! The one she hosted to celebrate the recovery of her cat from a life-threatening illness is just one example. Wait until you see the litter box cake that graced the dessert table! Oh, and the "Christmas gift" that arrived for a holiday open house! And the witch who tended bar at a neighborhood Halloween gathering! Most of the featured events, however, focus on two sets of under-six twins and describe a lifestyle that celebrates family occasions to "the max!" Lots of cute ideas, great energy and handy recipes all included. And if the star characters look familiar to you, well, it's because they probably are! Those little boys are my grandsons, the girls my granddaughters, and the blog author is their mom, my oldest daughter!

So I went to your link without finishing the paragraph -- and I"m thinking wait! I know those twins! Those cute boys look very familiar! I am going to go back and look around some more -- can't wait to see if your daughter inherited all of your awesomeness!

Oh how lovely. But you are definitely a braver grandma than me. I tried it once with our home school group when my kids were young and decided it wasn't for me then and now that those kids are grown and I have a passel of grandkids - it still isn't for me. :) Kudos to you for lovely results that make me want to change my mind....almost. :) :) :)

Wow, I love that bowl! I miss doing crafts with kids. When I was watching my friends' kids full time, I had them starting out doing crafts by the time they were ten months old! (Although at ten months old they sure couldn't have made such a nice bowl, LOL!)

Oh look at her concentration...so sweet and then her little face lighting up. I just want to squeeze her! :) I was just reading on the News this morning how cabin fever is affecting people and so : Dear Bree:If your Grandma starts to get cabin fever I really think that you should make a little nest for the kitties, don't you think ? Wouldn't it make a fun picture to see one of her kitties in a little nest playing with feathers ?

Joyce your daughter's blog is very nice / I bookmarked it and left a comment, ha ha :)

Oh, what fun you had with your granddaughter! What wonderful memories (and bowls!) you are making!! I hope your maribou bowl survives the herd! haha Thanks for visiting and commenting on our kitty(ies), also shelter cats! Donna

Oh- I backtracked through your comment to find you. What a wonderful blog. I love that you have so much fun with your grands. I am your newest follower and I will put your name on my sidebar right away so I don't miss posts. . I have been taking a few days off but usually blog every day so I will be around to visit again in a couple of days. So nice to "meet" you. xo Diana

I am just starting to have the experience of teaching our Little Man how to cook. He loves to dump the ingredients in the bowl and stir...hey its a start for a 2 year old. This is what came to my mind, when I saw your granddaughter making this cute craft.